Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried, raised by two gay women when he was growing up in New Jersey, has become the first NBA player to join Athlete Ally, an organization devoted to fighting homophobia in sports.

Faried, who last week was chosen to participate in the 2013 All-Star Game's Rising Stars Challenge as well as Saturday's Slam-Dunk Contest, said he hopes his involvement will raise awareness of gay rights in professional basketball.

Equal rights for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community hits close to home, literally, for Faried.

"I have two moms and I love them both very much," Faried said, in a statement released by Athlete Ally. "I respect, honor and support them in every way. The bond I have with them has made me realize that I want all members of the LGBT community—whether they are parents, players, coaches or fans—to feel welcome in the NBA and in all of our communities."

Faried recently appeared with his mothers in a public service announcement for the advocacy group OneColorado, to encourage Colorado to legalize same-sex civil unions.

Kathy Behrens, the NBA's Executive VP, Social Responsibility & Player Programs, applauded Faried's move: "We are proud to work with Athlete Ally and thank Kenneth for his leadership on this issue. His support on this issue is a welcome step in the NBA's ongoing efforts to raise awareness about and end homophobia in sports."

As an Athlete Ally representative, Faried joins vocal NFL players Brendon Ayanbadejo of the Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens and Chris Kluwe of the Minnesota Vikings, as well as Scott Fujita of the Cleveland Browns and Connor Barwin of the Houston Texans.

Faried, 23, will act as a liaison between Athlete Ally and the NBA.

The effort to promote acceptance and equality in sports had gotten a boost over the weekend when Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant chided two of his followers for using the same homophobic slur he himself had used in 2011 while complaining about an official's call during a game.

Bryant subsequently was fined $100,000 and in his tweets Sunday pointed out that he had learned from his mistake.

"When you look at Kobe's tweets from Sunday it demonstrates the enormous progress we're making in changing the culture of sports," Brian Ellner, a member of the Athlete Ally board of directors, told The Huffington Post. "Coming off of Brendon Ayanbadejo's much publicized advocacy at the Super Bowl, you now have one of the most accomplished and famous athletes in the world tweeting about respecting gay people. We're at a tipping point."